The Federal Government has raised concern over the resurgence of COVID-19 in Nigeria if adequate preventive measures are neglected as China and some other countries are going back to total lock down of cities and towns to curtail the pandemic.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire at the bi-monthly media briefing in Abuja, therefore warned that the pandemic is only slowed down as it is not yet over to neglect the necessary measures to curtail the disease.
Ehanire further called for the strict observance of non pharmaceutical measures including wearing of face mask, washing of hands and avoiding crowded places,
“I want to conclude by reminding all of us that COVID-19 is not gone. It has only slowed down in Nigeria. We are still working closely and as there has been reemergence that has surprised people in other countries is not ruled out here”.
“We must, therefore, refrain from non essential crowding and if has to happen, we must apply none pharmaceutical interventions like wearing our face mask, washing our hands, sanitizing and being careful with all our interaction.”
“The experience of other countries in Europe and currently the experience in China tells us that there can be a flare up of COVID-19 at any time”.
“We now know that the massive huge city of Shangai in China is on the lock down because of an explosion of COVID-19 in that city. Before that it was in Europe, in UK and Germany. The reemergence of COVID-19 from country to country surprise us”.
Ehanire also said that the Ministry and the National Population Commission (NPC), have concluded plans to engage the members of the National Assembly and the Nigeria’s Governors Forum (NGF) in order to appeal for improved budgetary allocation for Reproductive Health and Family Planning while speaking on the issue of Reproductive Health and Family Planning.
Ehanire said that the federal government is targeting to have a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 27 percent by year 2030 and sustainably increase it to 65 per cent by 2050.
“The multi-sectoral partnership with the NPC and other stakeholders to support the Federal Ministry of Health will actualize this intervention.”
“The Federal Ministry of Health and National Population Commission agreed to engage the National Assembly for adequate budgetary allocation towards meeting funding obligations to scale up reproductive health and family planning services”.
“To engage the Nigeria Governors Forum for their support and also budgetary allocation for reproductive health, family planning services and so on”.
“To engage development partners for technical and financial support also for reproductive health. Plans have been concluded by the Health Ministry and the NPC to mobilise traditional, religious, political and community leaders to ensuring the appropriate sensitization and education of community members on the safety of health services including family planning and reproductive health and to also ensure sustained improvement in human and infrastructural resources for long term provision and utilization of right-based reproductive health and family planning services.”
“The aim of the government is to align the population growth with the rate of economic growth so that there is even development.
He insisted that”
“One factor that will support policy goal realization is accelerating the implementation of fertility control intervention, improving family planning and child birth spacing to scale up meaningful control of our population growth rate and also support our economic growth rate.” He added.
